Relay



RELAY Filed May 11, 1929 11 9 121 1 7 m WWW 5 BY 5' I- ATTORNEY Patented July 1, 1930 UNITED S ATES PATENT; OFFICE WALTER BRANDT, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA, ASSIGNOR T0 OSTEBBEICHISCHE TELEPHON- IABRIK-AGTIENGESELLSCHAFT VOBMALS J. BERLINER, OI VIENNA, AUSTRIA, A

COMPANY OF AUSTRIA RELAY Application filed Kay 11, 1929, Serial No. 362,428, and in Austria. Kay 19, 1928.

This invention relates to relays, more particularly suitable to relays designed for use relays heretofore in use the armature was either spring supported or pivoted. These methods of supporting the armature, result ed among other inconveniences in that such relays were lazy as compared with the present relay. The armature of the relay embodying the present invention is acted upon only by the attracting force of the coils and cores of the relay and by gravity, so that forces variablein any way, whatever such asspring tensions, frictions in bearings and the like are entirely eliminated. Thereby an accurate and permanently equal adjustment is rendered possible by properly selecting the weight of the armature and the air gap between the armature and the stationary contacts and a reliable and permanently equal operation of the relay'may be secured not withstanding comparatively weak energizing currents.

As the'armature, owing to its full freedom of movement relatively to the stationary contacts, may also move laterally-the armature contacts do not always bear against the same parts of the surface of the stationary contacts, so that burning or accumulation of soot avoided.

Moreover in the relay constructed accord ing to the present invention a plurality of pairs of cores may be arranged in a pair'of coils common to such cores, such' cores being separated from each other by insulating partitions and a freely movable armature associon certain spots of the stationary contacts is ated to each pair of cores being arranged below the latter.. In a relay for telephone plant purposes it is often desirable to actuate simultaneously a plurality of contacts; relaysas heretofore constructed, when used under such conditions, require a considerable space and are not fully reliable. A relay constructed according to the present inventlon can control a comparatively lar e'number of con-- tacts with perfect reliabi ity requiring only very little space.

In such relays it may happen that the one or the other of'the armatures does not drop off the core directly after de-energizing'the relay but remains in its attracted position for some time either owing to the slight weight of the armature or to remanence or to mere adhesion. This inconvenience is obviated by uniting the armatures of the relay by an insulatin'g member the armatures being ca able of moving relatively to such member through a comparatively small distance.

The annexed drawing illustrates by way of example a constructional form of the re.-

lay embodying the present invention. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the relay on the line I-I of Fig. 2. Figure 2 is a vertical section of the relay on the line IIII of Fig. 1.

The relay according to Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with two coils 1, with the windings 2.-- The cores 3 of the coils serve also as current supply conductors for the stationary relay contacts 6. For this purpose leads 4 are connected to these cores. In the constructional form shown three circuits are controlled simultaneously by the relay. From Fig. 1 it is seen that in each coil three cores 3 separated from each other by insulations 5, are arranged each of such cores being provided with a relay contact 6. Opposite each pair of associated cores 3 an armature 8 is arranged and provided with two contacts 7 corresponding to the contacts 6 of the cores such contacts 7 being pointed for increasing the specific contact pressure. The armature is 10- cated below the contacts 6 and is raised from its position of rest, overcoming gravity, whenever the relay is energized. Its contacts 7 then bear against the contacts 6 making the circuit. The flux of force passes through the I contacts themselves and the maximum at.- traction pressure of the armature is utilized a the contact pressure. On de-energizing middle part with an opening 13 shown in Fig.

1 in section and in Fig. 2in side elevation the said openings 13 being in alignment with each other. An insulating rod 12 is passed through all of the openings 13, which are slightly greater, say by a few tenths of a millimeter than the diameter of the rod 12, so that each armature has a slight play or free movement relatively to the others. lVhen the coil is in circuit and the armatures bear against the cores for making contact each individual armature or part of an armature may bear against the core independently of the others since the connection by the rod 12 is not so rigid as to prevent this. But on throwing the coils out of circuit the armatures are dropped taking with them b means of the rod 12 any of the armatures or armature parts that may have accidentally remained in the attracted position on the armature cores. Thereby the operation of the relay is made quite certain and reliable.

The construction of the relay provides a simple means for adjusting the sensibility, the sensibility of the relay being adjusted by varying the air gap between armature and core, that is to say the distance between the contacts 6 and 7 in the position of rest of the armature. This is done by interposing washers 11 of non-magnetic material of different thicknesses, between the armature 8 and the supporting plate 9. The more the air gap is reduced in this way the weaker is the energizing current of the relay required for attracting the armature. In the constructional form shown with a plurality of circuits controlled by one relay a successive making of such circuits may be brought about by properly selecting the washers for the armatures associated to such circuits. The armature of the relay is freely movable between the two extreme positions. Only the attractive force of the relay and gravity act on the armature as forces, so that forces variable for any reasons whatever such as tensions of springs, friction of bearings and so on are eliminated. Therefore an exact and permanently equal adjustment of the relay is possible, by properly selecting the armature weight and the air gap and a reliable and permanently equal actuation of the relay may be secured notwithstanding very small intensities of the exciting current.

What I claim is:

1. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a core in each coil, an armature cooperating with said core, a contact surface on each core, contact surfaces on said armature opposite to the contact surfaces of the respective cores and means for limiting a vertical movement of the said armature away from the said cores, whereby the said armature is freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces on the cores and the said limiting means.

2. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a plurality of cores rigidly connected with each other and located side by side in each coil every two opposite cores forming a pair, in-

sulating partitions between the rigidly connected to said cores, a contact surface on each core, a plurality of armatures, one for each pair of cores, contact surfaces on each armature opposite to the contact-surfaces of the respective cores and means for limiting a vertical movement of the said armatures away from their associated cores, whereby the said armatures are freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces of their associated cores and the said limiting means.

3. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a plurality of cores rigidly connected with each other and located side by side in each coil, every two opposite cores forming a pair, insulating partitions between'and rigidly connected to said cores, a contact surface on each core, a plurality of armatures, one for each pair of cores, contact surfaces on each armature opposite to the contact surfaces of the respective cores, an insulating member connecting the said armatures with slight play and means for limiting a vertical movement of the said armatures away from their associated cores whereby the said armatures are freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces of their associated cores and the said limiting means.

4. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a plurality of cores rigidly connected with each other and located side by side in each coil, every two opposite cores forming a pair, insulating partitions between and rigidly connected to said cores, a contact surface on each core, a plurality of armatures, one for each pair of cores, contact surfaces on each armature opposite to the contact surfaces of the respective cores, openings arranged in alignment in the said armatures, an insulating rod passing with play through said openings and means for limiting a vertical movement of the said armatures away from their associated cores whereby the said armatures are freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces of their associated cores and the said limiting means.

5. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a plurality of cores rigidly connected with each other and located side by side in each coil, every two opposite cores formingapalr, msulating partitions between nd rlgidly connected to said cores, a contact surface on each core, a plurality of armatures, one for each pair of cores, each of said armatures comprising a plurality of parts located slde by side and movable against each other, contact surfaces on said armature parts opposite 1 to the contacts of the respective cores.

6. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a plurality of cores rigidly connected with each :other and located side by side in each coil, every two opposite cores forming a pair, in-

sulating partitions between and rigidly connected to said cores, a contact surface on each core, a plurality of armatures, one for each pair of cores, each of said armatures comprising a plurality of parts located side by w side and movable against each dther, each of said armature parts having a bevelledtop .and means for limiting a vertical movement of the said armatures away from their associated cones whereby the said armatures are freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces of their associated cores and the said limiting means.

7. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a core in each coil, an armature cooperating with said core, a contact surface on each core,

contact'surfaces on said armature opposite to the contact surfaces of the respective cores and means for'limiting a vertical movement of the said armature'away from the said 85 cores, whereby the said armature is freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces on the cores and the said limiting means and means for adjusting the distance between the said contact 4 surface of the core and the said limiting means. p

8. A relay comprising a pair of coils, a core in each coil, an armature cooperating with said core, a contact surface on each core,

as contact surfaces on said armature opposite to the contact surfaces of therespective cores and means for limiting a vertical movement of the said armature away from thesaid cores,

whereby the said armature is freely movable in a vertical direction between the said contact surfaces on the'cores and the said limiting means and means for adjusting the distance between the said contact surface of the core and the said limiting. means, such means comprising non-magnetic washers located below the said armature.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my siga nature.

WALTER BRANDT 

